Terengganu is famous with lots of myths including Ulik Mayang, a classical supernatural ritualistic dance to invoke the spirits of the sea during the fishing season. Not only that, the best part is, we are also unsure of how the name Terengganu was derived from. Some believed it was named when there were a bright lightning and locals kept on saying “terang sampai ke nu” which means ‘bright until there’. There were also myth saying that the name Terengganu was from the discovery of a ‘fang of something’ with a malay translation meaning of ‘taring anu’. Anyway, lets just drop the name discovery part of Terengganu.

Why should someone visit Terengganu?

Among all states in Malaysia, Azuki Tours has a preference to visit beaches and Terengganu is our best spot to visit every year. Located on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, Terengganu has the best spots of beaches with many beautiful tropical islands nearby such as Redang, Lang Tengah, Perhentian, Tenggol and Kapas. Not only blessed with islands, you could also visit the biggest man-made lake in South East Asia, Lake Kenyir or even the highest waterfall in Malaysia, Cemerong Waterfall which cascades down a 305m slope.

Overlooking the South China Sea, the beaches in Terengganu are very well known for its pristine and white powdery sandy beaches with varieties of colorful sea corals, plants and animal. Perhentian Island, was once named as one of the most beautiful island in the ‘world’ with warm sapphire blue waters. Whereas in Redang Island, you will be able to locate 2 historical shipwrecks during WWII, the HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse which was sunk and setting the tone for the Japanese occupying Tanah Malaya. Not forgetting Kapas Island, named as Kapas or ‘cotton’ because of its cotton color beach. Water activities such as diving, snorkelling, canoeing, fishing, spearing cuttle fish or even witnessing the boat making are very famous in most of the islands here.

As mentioned earlier, not on the beaches are wonderful, lakes and waterfalls are also highly recommended here. List down the waterfalls most locals visit such as Lata Tembakah, Sungai Bangang, Sekayu, Cemerong as well as Lata Payung. But do take note that, these waterfalls are nice to see but are not advisable to swim as it might be dangerous due to the deep slope underneath with no lifeguards around the area. Of course heading to the waterfalls may require you to hike few kilometres before arriving but for those who really love nature, we could assure you that the walk would be worth your sweat.

Other nice sightseeing places to visit in the city of Terengganu would include the Crystal Mosque, Pulau Duyong Islamic Centre, Floating Mosque of Tengku Tengah Zaharah and not forgetting the famous Pasar Payang. Our suggestion would be to spend at least a minimum of 2 nights enjoying the sun and beaches of Terengganu islands with at least 1 night in the city of Terengganu enjoying the city and Terengganu cuisine such as Nasi Dagang, Keropok Lekor, Laksam, fried ice cream, Satar and much more.

Pic Source : Kuali.com

Despite of the calm and beautiful beaches, Terengganu receives a heavy rainfall between November up to March every year due to the north-east monsoon wind. It would be really ugly if you were to come during this period. Resorts are normally closed as it would be dangerous for the ferries to commit the transfers. Sometimes, due to the torrential rain and strong wind, flood can appear in the city of Terengganu and rescue teams would be on standby-mode at all time.

So, when would be the best time to visit the paradise of Terengganu? Our suggestion would say that a good time would probably be between April to October as it has very low rainfall and to avoid the north-east monsoon.

In addition, don’t forget to also check-out our other destination guide such as Selangor, Johor and Pulau Pinang 🙂 Book now with Azuki Tours!